Pallet grades, read off the deck
A pallet grade is read off the deck: whether it has been repaired, how many times, and how sound it is. Grade A has no repairs, Grade B has some, Grade C has many.
- Size
- Any, mostly 48x40
- Build
- Any
- Grade
- New, A, B, C, combo, mixed, core
- Trades
- All
- Towns
- All
Seven words, seven decks
| Grade | What you see on the deck | Page |
|---|---|---|
| New | All-new lumber, never shipped on; usually built to a spec sheet | New |
| Grade A | Also called grade 1; no repairs and none needed | Grade A |
| Grade B | Also called grade 2; repaired with replaced deck boards, plates or plugs | Grade B |
| Grade C | Also called grade 3; poor appearance, usually several repairs, deck boards may not be fully intact | Grade C |
| Combo | Remanufactured from recycled and new lumber; stronger and more consistent than used | Combo |
| Mixed load | An unsorted pile: more than one size or grade together | Mixed |
| Core | A used pallet a shipper no longer needs | Core |
These words are used by buyers and sellers of pallets, but no single body enforces them. The GMA organization no longer governs pallet specifications, so a grade is partly a convention. Two docks can mean slightly different things by Grade B, and the deck is the final word.
What the repairs look like
A plug is a short board nailed beside a broken one. A plate is a metal plate hammered over a cracked stringer or block. A companion stringer sits alongside a broken one. Those are the repairs that make a Grade B. The repair guide has the detail.
Which grade for which load
- Racked, stacked high or run through an automated line: Grade A or new
- General freight and most parts: Grade B
- A one-way trip where the pallet is not coming back: Grade C
- A recurring order that needs every pallet to behave the same: combo
- A load heading overseas: heat-treated, whatever the grade
Worth selling, or just hauling
Grade A and sound B in standard sizes are worth selling. Grade C has a thin market. Mixed loads need a sort first. Cores are repaired, dismantled or ground. If you are not sure which side your stack falls on, describe it on the sell page or ask on the clear page.
Why the grade words came about
Used pallets have to be sold by description. A buyer cannot inspect a trailer of them, so the trade settled on short labels that mean roughly the same thing to both sides. A grade is shorthand for what the repairs look like, which is why it is read off the deck, not off a certificate.
The standard GMA pallet of the 1960s was a 48 by 40 inch platform, and a lot of today's grade language descends from that era. The association no longer governs pallet specifications, so a grade is partly a convention. A seller who says A is telling you what they would call A.
Club grade
Above Grade A there is a top level called club grade, sometimes AAA, for pallets that look brand new and are suitable for retail floor display. It is a looks standard first.
Walking through a pile with the table
Stand at the corner of a stack and take five pallets at random from different heights. Turn each one over. For each pallet ask three questions: are any boards new, is there a plate or plug, and are all boards whole? Five pallets give you a sample that is usually accurate enough to call the stack.
| What you find | Call it |
|---|---|
| No repairs, whole boards | Grade A |
| Replaced boards, a plate or plug, whole deck | Grade B |
| Several repairs, uneven boards, rough look | Grade C |
| New lumber throughout, no wear | New |
| Mix of fresh and weathered lumber, uniform build | Combo |
| Different sizes together | Mixed load |
| Damaged, awaiting a recycler | Core |
A field key is not a standard. It is a way to talk about a pile in words a buyer will understand.
What grade does not tell you
- Whether the wood is dry; check moisture separately
- Whether it has been treated for export; look for the mark
- Whether it is pooled; look for the colour
- Whether it has carried food or chemicals; ask
Grade is one fact among several. A request that gives grade, moisture, mark and history will be easier to answer than one that gives grade alone.
Misunderstandings that cost money
- A seller says Grade A and means 'good looking'; the buyer hears 'no repairs'
- A buyer asks for B and gets a pile that is half C
- A pile marked 'heat treated' has been repaired with untreated boards
- A pallet that looks clean has sat in a damp yard and smells of mould
Each of these ends with a refused load. The cure is the same every time: say what you see, in the words of this table, and ask the other side to do likewise.
Photographs as the final word
Whatever the words, a picture of the underside of three pallets from the stack settles most disagreements. Insist on it, either way.
A short way to compare
Treat grades as a ladder from new at the top to scrap at the bottom. Each step down costs less and carries more variation. The right rung depends on how closely your receivers inspect and how hard the pallet is used.
If you can, buy a small sample at the grade you think you need. It shows what you are really getting for the price, and it settles disputes before they start.
Grades and the receiving dock
The best test of a grade is the dock that receives the pallet. A customer who rejects a grade you thought acceptable has taught you something about their needs. Ask them for their rule in writing.
Keep a photograph of a pallet that was accepted. It becomes the reference for later orders.
Ready to ask? Send us the request.